Device for fixing the front end assembly of a motorcycle with caster angle and adjustable ground caster angle

Abstract

Device for fixing the front end assembly of a motorcycle includes an upper plate, a lower plate, a column shaft linking the two plates by enclosing the chassis column tube. The bearings originally mounted are replaced by an assembly of parts and the swivel joint element. The rotating elements are placed in the plate and the plate respectively to allow them to rotate on the column shaft locked in rotation by the part. The groove of the part and the cylindrical surfaces of parts with axis perpendicular to a median plane of the vehicle and passing through the center of the swivel joint allow the entire device to pivot about the axis to offset the column shaft with the axis of the tube thereby modifying the caster angle. The rotating element mounted in an oblong configuration enables the offset on the plate to be modified and by tilting about the axis and tilting of the plate about the axis enables the value of the ground caster distance and the inclination of the suspension element to be modified.

Description

RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS [0001] Not applicable. STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0002] Not applicable. REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX [0003] Not applicable. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0004] The invention involves a device for fixing the front end assembly of a motorcycle, allowing a modification of the parameters that define the dynamic qualities of the vehicle and notably the caster angle and the value of the ground caster distance. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0005] For clarity of the present description, at first the current fashion most used by motorcycle manufacturers to create the fixation of the front end assembly will be explained in reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. FIG. 1 shows a drawing of the front end assembly of a motorcycle made in its median plane. FIG. 2 shows the same drawing but in a front view. FIG. 3 shows the detailed mounting of the steering column by a section I-I of FIG. 2 going along its axis of rotation. [0006] It is k...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015] The present invention proposes an assembly of upper and lower plates and column shaft which is able to be mounted easily on the column (5) of the motorcycle chassis used by the manufacturers in mass-production, which offers the particularity of being able to make the caster angle (A) vary more or less on the order of 1° to 3° and the offset (B) in an independent manner on the upper and lower plates. These adjustment modifications can be made quickly without dismounting the front end assembly.

Problems solved by technology

The implementation of these rings makes necessary a significant and expensive modification of the tube (5) of the steering column used on competitive vehicles coming from mass-produced models.

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